Not available there?

Growing up in Maine, I did not appreciate the fact that some of the popular items we eat and drink are difficult — and sometimes impossible — to locate outside of the state. In addition to this oblivion, I was unaware that in other parts of the country people are subjected to such culinary inconveniences as hot dog buns that open on the side (say what?!). But more on this in a bit.

So what are displaced Mainers and previous visitors to the Pine Tree State to do when they’re craving a whoopie pie or brown bread or Humpty Dumpty potato chips? For visit 26 on my journey to every Maine town, I went to Old Town and met the man who has provided a solution to this dilemma. In 2017, Daniel Finnemore — a born and raised Mainer — launched Box of Maine from his basement. His dad, who had to move out of state, was the inspiration behind the idea. Daniel wanted to make some of the local iconic items available to people who no longer had access to their favorite Maine things. Daniel’s past life experiences — from selling on eBay to working at a frozen food distributor — gave him an array of skills that equipped him for this new venture.

Daniel began his search for good people, good products, and good prices. He developed relationships with both large regional companies and everyday folks who create delights in their home kitchens. Over time, he established strong connections with forty Maine businesses and selected around eighty classic products to make available to his customers. Now displaced dads and former neighbors and seasonal visitors can go to Box of Maine’s online site and with a few clicks virtually create a custom box of their favorites. Daniel and his team do the hands-on work of physically packing and mailing the boxes out of their facility. Free shipping is included, even to military APO / FPO addresses. They were hopping last year (2019) with 11,500 boxes heading out the door.

But one problem…

The only challenging aspect of the process for the customer is deciding which items to include in their box. If you have a blueberry passion, you can select cans of wild blueberries…or blueberry tea or soap or candles or jam. Need something even sweeter? Choose a maple theme box with syrup, candy, or popcorn. Candles or tea are options here, too. 

There’s a Maine Italian Box or a Maine BBQ Cookout Box. The latter includes some real classics. There are Maine Red Snappers (AKA “red hot dogs” for those of you from away). These have been staples in the state for a long time. The makers, W.A. Beans and Sons, got their start in Maine’s meat industry in 1860. They know hot dogs, and they like the color red.

Also included in this package are the previously referenced hot dog buns. New Englanders have a reputation for being practical and exercising common sense, so it is no wonder that a Maine-based company, J.J. Nissen, rescued the world from the issue of hot dog bun instability. Mainers know that the only logical way to serve hot dogs is with a bun that has a flat bottom, flat sides for toasting, and a split-top opening. This allows you to set in your frankfurter, add the condiments, and enjoy your lunch without an excessive need for napkins. Case closed.

If you’re local to the area and want to physically look over the options before sending your exiled Maine loved one the best birthday present ever, you can now come to the store on 695 Stillwater Avenue which opened in the fall of 2019. It’s an easy find right off the highway with a bright, colorful, and fun sign welcoming you to the Box of Maine.

Don’t misunderstand: Box of Maine isn’t one of those subscription box commitments. Now, it may be that you have enough people in your circle that you find yourself heading to the site every month to surprise someone else with Maine goodness in their mailbox, but the frequency of doing so is under your control. There’s no recurring automated obligation.

When I asked Daniel which items were most popular, he didn’t hesitate to answer. Top of the list? Whoopie pies, of course. The runner-ups are a tie between maple syrup and blueberry jam. No surprises there either.

It looks like the sky is the limit for the Box of Maine. Daniel recently won a round of Greenlight Maine, a type of local Shark Tank production. We wish him all the best as he competes for a spot in the May 2020 finale with its $100K cash prize. You can follow that adventure and all the other developments of this fast-growing Maine small business by liking their Facebook page or signing up for their newsletter on the Box of Maine website.

I’m on a mission to visit every town in Maine. Check here to see if I’ve featured yours yet: All The Visits. To learn more about this adventure, see the about page.